


Cabarmak

by szm



Series: Cabarmak [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-21
Updated: 2012-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-02 08:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/366849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szm/pseuds/szm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(moved from lj)</p><p>Dreaming your life away...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cabarmak

**Author's Note:**

> Betaed by the lovely vipersweb

There’s a planet in the Greater Tessaesic cloud (near the back) that nearly all space-bound species avoid. Humans, being the optimistic and slightly dense species they are, spent two hundred years trying to tame it before even they gave up. The Time Lords avoided it. The Doctor himself would need a good reason to risk it. 

It has some… wholly unique plant life.

**

“Ianto!” Jack’s voice echoed round the Hub.

Ianto was standing next to Gwen as she entered data into her missing person’s programme.

“Oh right,” muttered Ianto. “I’ve been ready for twenty minutes, all of a sudden he’s ready and now we _have_ to go _right this minute_.”

Gwen chuckled. “Oh hush, you’ll enjoy it once you get there. Bring me some cake?”

As Jack approached, Ianto replied. “Jelly and ice cream too, if you’re good.”

“Ianto Jones,” he said in a mock stern voice. “If by ‘good’ you mean ‘manufacture a rift alert so you can leave early’…”

Ianto turned and gave Jack his brilliant and totally insincere smile. “Would I?” he asked.

Jack pretended to growl. “Come on then, Jones! Let’s get gone. Gwen?”

Gwen held up her hands in surrender. “I know, I know, no taking on the apocalypse by myself. I’ll call you if anything happens.” 

“Don’t go after _anything_ on your own, not even weevils, you’re…”

Gwen interrupted him. “If the next word is ‘pregnant’ Harkness, I’ll slap you. I know I’m pregnant. _I’ve_ got the morning sickness.”

“Afternoon sickness, early evening sickness…” chipped in Ianto.

Gwen bounced a biro off his head. “Go, the pair of you. It’ll be quiet; it’s been quiet for ages.”

Jack felt a stab of unease. It _had_ been quiet for ages. But then Ianto rolled his eyes and frowned in that way that Jack found unbearably cute, not that he would ever tell Ianto that, and the feeling drifted away.

“Come on,” said Ianto. “I told Rhiannon we’d pick up David and Mica by now.”

Jack led the way to the SUV. Ianto drove, because he said there was no way he was subjecting his niece and nephew to Jack’s driving again. Jack pouted to make Ianto smile. When they collected the kids, David frowned when he saw Ianto in the drivers seat.

“I wanted Jack to drive,” he complained.

“Right, ‘cus you want to die young, do you?” said his mother helping Mica into the car. “Mind your manners while you’re there, and look after your sister!”

Both David and Mica groaned at that. “I don’t need looking after Mam,” said Mica, “I’m not a _baby_.”

“If they give you any trouble Ianto, bring them back, okay?”

This unleashed a torrent of complaint from the backseat.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Rhi, they’ll be _fine_. You and Jonny enjoy your afternoon to yourselves. I’ll bring them back for eight.”

They drove off with David and Mica pulling face’s at their mum as they went.

“You’ll be for it when you get back,” warned Ianto with a chuckle.

Of course they were late when they arrived at Alice’s. Alice frowned at Jack but Stephen just ran up with a grin.

“Uncle Jack!” he exclaimed.

Jack hoisted him up into the air. “Hello soldier,” he said. Then he felt a pain in his chest, something about the much used nickname suddenly made him uneasy. He shook his head and let it go.

Mica was hiding behind her uncle and David was surveying the scene with great distrust.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Ianto was saying to Alice. Jack could hear the bitten off ma’am at the end of the sentence.

“You’re Ianto?” asked Alice, clearly sizing Ianto up. Jack held his breath.

“Yes,” said Ianto standing up a little straighter. “This is David and Mica.” He prodded David.

“Hi,” said David in his surly ten year old way. Mica just clung to Ianto’s leg. Ianto sighed and picked her up. He balanced her on his hip and she rested her head on his shoulder, while staring at Alice through her hair.

“Mica?” said Alice. “That’s a pretty name. I’m Alice,” She pointed to Stephen. “That’s Stephen.”

Mica waved shyly.

“Stephen, why don’t you show David through and introduce him to everyone. Do you want to go?” she asked Mica. “There’s a bouncy castle.”

Mica shook her head but Jack’s eyes widened. “A bouncy castle?” he asked.

Alice and Ianto gave matching eye-rolls and Jack struggled not to laugh.

“He doesn’t change does he?” Alice asked.

“Not at all,” chuckled Ianto.

Jack, Stephen and David raced through the house to the back garden.

When Jack had enough of the bouncy castle - well when the kids had worn him out - he flopped into a chair next to Ianto. Ianto and Alice were chatting and Mica had discovered another five year old girl to play with. He laced his fingers with Ianto’s. Ianto looked at him and smiled, blushing slightly but not pulling his hand back. Alice gave them both a fond look that made Ianto blush more and she pushed a plate with a piece of birthday cake over to Jack.

It was perfect.

**

There’s a planet in the Greater Tessaesic cloud (near the back) that nearly all space-bound species avoid. Its surface is covered in violent storms, and the radiation from its sun is dangerous and deadly.

But it’s a fair bet that before the sunlight or the weather kills you; the flowers will find you first.

The closest species to the planet call them _Cabarmak_ , which means bliss. They named the planet after them. Humans call them Siren Flowers and for a time had the notion that they could harvest a drug from them. But it proved too dangerous, impossible to get close enough and stay safe.

There have been very few survivors. The few who do manage to get away from the flowers are killed by the storms or the sunlight. But those lucky few who do survive say that the flowers sing to them, call to them. It is beautiful and impossible to ignore. You find yourself drawn to a thousand voices all promising to end the pain. 

Then they swallow you up. Blood red petals holding you down. The thorns contain a toxin, a hallucinogen, cabarmak. Then, as you dream, the plant sucks away your life leaving nothing but a husk behind.

But Jack Harkness doesn’t die, can’t die. 

**

Jack was dozing. In his bed under the office in the Hub, curled round a warm and naked Ianto, his nose buried in the junction between Ianto’s neck and shoulder. Smelling warm, clean Ianto skin.

Jack preferred sleeping here to Ianto’s flat. It was safer here. He could keep Ianto safe here.

_I’ve already breathed the air in…_

Jack tightened his arm round Ianto’s waist. Ianto made a sleepy snuffling noise and wriggled in Jack’s hold.

_Jack? Jack, we’ll get you out!_

Suddenly Jack _hurt_. He couldn’t smell Ianto anymore. He could see him through the gloom, feel him, but not smell him.

_Jack! Speak to me you insufferable man!_

_You won’t remember me._

_Careful! Don’t let the thorns get you_

“I will remember you,” said Jack holding Ianto even tighter. “I will…”

“Jack, you’re hurting me…” mumbled Ianto sleepily.

Suddenly Jack’s vision was filled with blinding light. He heard Myfanwy screech. Impossibly loud. Ianto was gone and every inch of Jack hurt. Like his skin was being ripped from his body. Strange hands pulled at him, pulled him away.

_We need to get him back to the TARDIS_

“I love you.” Ianto’s voice was all that was left. 

“Don’t,” said Jack. “Don’t go…”

_Doctor? What did he say?_

Then it all went black.

**

There’s a planet in the Greater Tessaesic cloud (near the back) that nearly all space-bound species avoid.

And that’s where the Doctor finds Jack Harkness.

His ship had crashed on the planet and been destroyed in the storms. The Siren Flowers had sung to him and he’d become trapped. Forever, because Jack Harkness can’t die.

The Doctor saved him. At great risk to himself and his companion. Because Jack was his friend.

Jack never tells him he’d gone there on purpose.


End file.
